


It Doesn't Matter

by thranarwhal



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blind Thranduil, Eventual Smut, F/M, Hospital, M/M, One-Sided Attraction, PTSD Thranduil, caring legolas, depressed thranduil, idk what this will be yet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-12
Updated: 2015-10-09
Packaged: 2018-04-04 03:36:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4124235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thranarwhal/pseuds/thranarwhal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Thranduil is suddenly sent to the hospital bed ridden, and Legolas receives a call about his condition, he realizes things might not all be well with his father, and that he needs more help than he can get.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! This is my first Thrandolas fic. I have a vague idea of where I want to take this, but I've been feeling really inspired by SweetCandy's great work for this ship and decided to feed my muse by writing this.

"Your father is not the same as he was, Mr. Oropherion."

The doctor looked at Legolas with the blank expression all medical people do, and it shortened his fuse.

"Just tell me how my father is?" Legolas asked.

"He's suffered severe burns down the left side of his body, the muscles on the left side of his body when flexed pull the wounds which cause terrible pain and bleeding in some cases, and the swelling of his brain is giving us cause for concern, but we're working to reduce it and minimalize his pain."

Legolas never would have guessed anything out of the ordinary until he got the phone call. It was a typical Tuesday, he had gone to his morning classes, worked at the book store for a few hours, and went back to his small apartment to watch movies and sip wine like most nights in his college life. It wasn't until 10pm he got the distress call from a friend, telling him that the news was broadcasting a burning skyscraper that was his fathers. Thranduil had been one of the few that had survived, but was flown immediately by helicopter to the nearest hospital and had been in surgery for over 3 hours. As soon as Legolas heard he boarded the soonest flight, but it wasn't until a little after he landed in LaGuardia and hailed the first taxi to the hospital.

Everything was swirling around in Legolas's head too fast, and he could feel his dinner revisiting, but he forced himself to be strong. "Can I see him?"

The doctor nodded. "I would warn you though, he may not be able to respond. He's still in ICU and we have him heavily sedated where he feels no pain, but because of it he might be oblivious to his senses. His recovery is still questionable. I would try talking to him though, regardless of if he is aware. It may help him."

Standing on shaky legs, Legolas made it down the bleak white hallway and stood in front of the oak door the doctor had described. Grasping the handle, he took a few deep breaths and prepared himself for what he was about to see.

He pushed the door open, and the first thing he noticed was the beeping. A constant thrum against the quiet of the early morning halls, and it unnerved him. Then the smell. It was poignant and sharp, sickeningly sweet, with a metallic edge. It almost threw him off from what he was used to associating with hospitals, but then he saw the figure in the bed.

The bandages covering the left side of the face were mostly white, but pink in some areas. From chemicals or blood, Legolas couldn't tell. The remainder of the body was covered in thick pale blankets, and wires disappeared underneath them in all different directions. The half of the face Legolas could see looked dry, and there were bruises lining the nose and forehead. His skin looked frail, and resembled the bedsheets being too white to be healthy, and the dark brow was stark against it. His hair was mostly covered by his head, but it looked to be shorn off in some areas shorter, reaching just past his collar than to lower back.

Overall he was a mess. The strong man Legolas always associated his father being looked nothing more than a crumpled piece of paper. It scared Legolas more than he cared to admit, and he sat next to the bed in one of the plush chairs and grabbed the good hand that was resting with many wires connected to it. He noted his hand was shaking, and he took a breath to steady himself.

"Ada," Legolas started, but laughed hollowly at the thought. It had been a long time since he had used that name, a nickname his father had always made him use. He loved it as a child, despite the questioning glances from other kids and parents he got from it, but he didn't care. It was him and his ada's thing, it didn't matter what anyone else thought.

"Ada," Legolas tried again, "I know I've been distant of late, and I apologize for that, but you must know I was only trying to live my life. If I had known any of this were to happen, I..." He stopped himself there, unable to go on. His hands were shaking hard, and he rested them against the bed flat with his father's cradled between them, but they didn't stop.

"I still remember the first time you told me about the stars Ada." Legolas began, looking out into the night sky of the small window of the room. The city was always lit up at night, and it made the stars hard to see, but few could be seen much farther away than usual, almost as if you blinked and they'd be gone.

"You told me that they were beautiful, and held memory. You brought me out there in the dark and told me the night I asked about Nana for the first time, and told me all I had to do was look up and I would see her and remember her memory."

A few tears escaped his notice and before he could stop them more came. A sob escaped him, and he looked back towards the pitiful state of his father.

"Please," Legolas pleaded with the body, moving as close as he could and cradling the frail hand to his chest, "I don't want you to be a memory too."

 

"Sir?" A calm voice called from the doorway, and it woke Legolas from his dreams.

He groggily shook his head to clear his mind, and squinted from the blinding light coming through the window.

"You shouldn't have stayed overnight, but I'll have to check on Mr. Oropherion anyways so you must leave."

Legolas looked back to the nurse, and noted the long red hair pulled into a tight braid down her back looked rather painful, but her face didn't reveal any discomfort.

"Yes, I am sorry," Legolas awkwardly shuffled from his seat, getting up and grabbing his jacket and bag and making his way out the door.

Before he left, he turned back towards the nurse who was advancing near his father.

"Excuse me miss.." He fished for a name.

"Tauriel." The nurse supplied as she pulled away the blankets to check on the fluids and wires.

"Yes, when will I be able to visit him again?" Legolas asked.

Tauriel pulled out her clipboard and marked something down.

"What is your relation to Mr. Oropherion?" She asked.

"I'm his son." He replied, thinking of how long it had been since he had said that.

She wrote a few more things down, and then graced him with a small smile that didn't hold much comfort in it.

"Since you are immediate family, your visiting hours are 9am till 11am, 2pm till 4pm, and 6pm to 9pm. Any other times he will likely be undergoing tests or resting if he regains conscieness and he's been worn out from socializing or motor activities we use for rehabilitation. Now, since you're his son, you can answer our question. His wallet was not on him at the time, only his car keys, an old letter from a colleague, and a photograph. The letter is signed T. Oropherion. What is his name?"

"Thranduil." Legolas replied, but thinking of how unbecoming the name was given the state "Thranduil" was in.

"Thank you." Tauriel said and went back to the task of checking Thranduil, pressing buttons on the machines and checking his vitals.

"One more thing." Legolas asked as he was half way through the door.

"Where were those belongings you said he had?"

"I will need to see some identification first before I allow a patient's belongings over sir."

"Yes of course." Legolas hurriedly went to grab his liscence and showed it to the red head, who went to a drawer and opened it with a key. Inside were the three things.

"You may take them or leave them here, as long as you plan to return them to Mr. Oropherion. Now you really must leave, I need to take him to get his bandages removed for cleaning."

Legolas numbly grabbed the letter and keys and photograph and made his way out.


	2. Chapter 2

"What are you going to do?" 

Legolas sighed unhappily and finished eating the bagel he had ordered with his coffee. He had two hours to kill before he could re visit, but he was glad for the distraction. 

"I don't know Aragorn... Regardless of how he turns out if he wakes up or not, his injuries are extreme. He will need all the help he can get and I feel guilty for not being there these past few years." Legolas said frowning.

The dark haired man across from him studied him. "Why guilty? What did he do?"

"It wasn't so much him, I just," Legolas took a breath. "You know how all father's care immensely for their children. Well, Ada was always around for me more than I expected other kids parents were and we were extremely tight when I was a kid. Everywhere I went, Ada went. I never went to daycare, had baby sitters, went to friends houses. He wouldn't let me out of his sight. And for a long time, I was okay with that. Even happy that my Ada was the best Ada in the world to me."

Legolas smiled bitterly and sipped at his coffee. "But then I started to grow up, and become interested in life and people and it was hard for him. He noticed the change, and I think Celeborn gave him a stern talking to about letting me live my life, but he finally started to bury himself in his work. I had gained my freedom, but I had lost Ada. I rarely saw him in those days, he always had some sort of an excuse, but when I did see him he looked sad... And guilty himself. And I think back on those years and how, even when I was smothered by his parenting, I still loved it. But when I wanted to pull away to have my own life, his dried up." Legolas paused to wipe the stray tear. "And now seeing him again after all these years so broken, it's hard for me to forget all the guilt."

"But that wasn't your fault, you did what every normal teenager does in that stage of life." Aragorn said. 

"But I shouldn't have. With how close we were, I should have been able to talk and ask questions. But I didn't. And look where it got us." Legolas finished off, downing the rest of his coffee. 

Aragorn reached across the table and grabbed one of his hands and held it in between his. His grey eyes looked deep into Legolas's. 

"It doesn't matter what happened in the past Legolas. Sure both of you could have tried harder. But that's not the point. Now he needs you more than anything, and I think you need him too. And that guilt your feeling," He squeezed Legolas's hand, "Is going to eat you alive if you let it control you. Focus on the now."

Legolas swallowed hard and looked at his best friend through watery eyes. 

"Thank you. That's what I needed to hear. I never properly thanked you for giving me the call about the emergency. Without you, I may never have heard about this."

"That's what friends are for." Aragorn said with a smile. "Now quit distracting me and let me eat, I drove five hours for you."

 

 

Many days went by with no news, no updates. Legolas was almost like clockwork, always arriving on opening visiting times as promptly as leaving them. He often sat next to his father's bedside, but other days he would just sit by the window and remember the past. 

Sometimes he would cry. Those days were the worst. When the memories would flood him and leave him feeling a thick blanket of depression over him. Those days were the hardest getting him to leave.

But on and on the cycle went for over 3 weeks, and it was taking its toll on Legolas. He hadn't been back to his apartment to get his stuff, he was borrowing a few of Aragorn's things and re using his own clothes. All of his school stuff was still at home, and at this rate he would probably have to drop the classes. The crappy motel he stayed in was close enough to walk to the hospital, but that was it. He ate the stale hospital food with his father (or at least he imagined they were eating it together) and his life became as dull as the man's laying in the bed unconscious. 

It was exactly 3 weeks and 4 days that Thranduil had been in the hospital that he finally showed signs of life. 

Legolas had been sitting next to his father's bed, watching some cartoon on the TV and passing the time, when he saw the blankets shift. He looked over and sure enough, Thranduil's arms were moving beneath it. Excited, Legolas shot up and ran to the door, telling Tauriel across the hall of the news. She got up quickly to go and get the doctor. 

Legolas came back and a blinding smile was across his face. He went to the bedside and grabbed his father's hand that started flexing unconsciously. 

"Ada." Legolas said. "You're alright. You're in a hospital. I'm so glad you're moving." Legolas exclaimed. He was hoping these twitches meant his father might be waking up fully, and that he was on his way to recovery.   
But when he looked closely, he could see the face muscles twitching. And while most of his face was still covered by bandages, he could see the edges of the bandages turning red, and a faint red drip trickling out from underneath to follow down his cheek and underneath his chin. His blood ran cold and he got up, running to the door and seeing Tauriel and the doctor coming down the hall. 

"What's wrong Legolas?" The doctor, Elrond, asked when he saw Legolas's grave face. 

"It's blood, he's bleeding and it's on his face, and-"

Tauriel came over to him and gently grasped his arm and pulled him out of the way as Elrond went closer. He pulled away the blankets to the body and saw the reddened bandages didn't stop at the face. His whole left sighed that had been charred was bleeding, and Elrond sucked in a breath. 

"We need to get him into surgery. He can't have this kind of blood loss." Elrond said, unhooking many of the wires and making everything portable for moving. 

Just as he was about to unhook the last, Thranduil's eye popped open. The other was underneath the bloody bandages, but the one clear blue one was aware but not focused, twitching nervously around the room.   
Elrond took a step back while Legolas took one forward, and he crept closer to his father's side where the eye remained to search for something. 

"Ada?" He whispered, not fully expecting a response. 

But the eye moved in his direction locating the sound, but couldn't find the source. His blue eyes, twinkling green looked pale and unfocused, moving frustratingly. It seemed as if no matter how hard he tried, his eye wouldn't focus on the sound. He looked right through Legolas, past him, but couldn't acknowledge him. 

Then the twitching began to become even more severe, and Thranduil's free arm began to move on and off the bed, while the knees bent and face turned from side to side.

Tauriel and Elrond immediately went to hold him down, and more doctors and nurses rushed in, helping them and wheeling the bed out into the hall. Legolas watched numbly as he heard the commands from the doctors and the grunts to try and keep his father in place. He could see him struggling harder the longer they went down the hall, and it was right before the very end where the double doors to the operating room was that he heard a groan he knew came from his father.

 

 

It was two weeks from the day he woke that they allowed him to leave. Legolas hadn't seen his father awake except for that day, but the doctors assured him they had recorded movements and consciousness. They assured him that the binding they replaced closed the wounds much better, and little muscle movements should not aggravate him at all. They gave him a list of things he needed to do, and also a list of things that Thranduil could eat. Bed and rest was the main key, and since they were giving Thranduil leave on such heavy medication, he would be out cold for at least another day, which they assured Legolas would help with the transition.

He was also told that Tauriel would be Thranduil's home nurse, and would be at the house for a total of five hours each day. She would come and go periodically, and Elrond would check in twice a week (or more if needed) to do a full doctoral check so Thranduil wouldn't have to be moved around as much. He was grateful for their assistance but wary. He hadn't left his fathers side in the hospital for the almost one and a half months, and during that he noticed Tauriel would give him looks. It unnerved him, but he supposed it could be much worse. She was very pretty. 

He wheeled his father out to his car (Aragorn brought it over for him) and he, with the help of Tauriel, lifted him into the seat and buckled him in with many pillows and bandages for support. He then went to his side, started the engine, and looked back to Tauriel.

She was holding the papers about his medical reports and files. "You will need these, also there are lists of things to do and not to do once he regains consciousness. I will be over in a few hours to set up his drips, I trust you can manage to get him to the most comfortable spot in the house because he will be spending quite a long time there."

"Yes, thank you." Legolas said, grabbing the papers and shutting the door. He looked next to him and saw his father, or the shell of his father. The white bandages still covered half his face, but even after many weeks of being by his side, he still didn't know what was underneath them. The mystery was eating him, and he felt guilty for not inquiring. Maybe it was none of his business. 

He reached across the seat and grabbed his fathers pale, warm hand. "I will make this right, Ada. I would see you well again." And he drove out of the parking lot, and northwest, away from the city and into the country.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise the next chapter will be longer, and finally some Thranduil (maybe?)


	3. Chapter 3

It had been three years since he had stepped foot inside their ranch house. It was a modest house, despite all the money Thranduil had, sitting on many acres with a lake large enough for canoeing and a big bonfire pit in a clearing of trees. Legolas always knew he loved nature, and that it was something he was loathe to give up. That's why, despite having his office in the heart of Manhattan, he commuted long hours to stay close to the woods.

It also held many memories. Legolas could remember the times he would be running through the trees outside, and climbing them and swimming in the lake and feeding the wildlife around, but his fondest memories were of him and his father. When he would convince himself he was lost in the woods and run free like the world didn't matter, but hear light foot step following him. He would smirk, and dash off into the woods, as fast as his feet could carry him. The thump of the steps would quicken, and the chase would begin, dodging through trees and around banks. But sooner or later, the foot steps would be almost right behind him, but little Legolas wouldn't be so easily defeated. When he knew the end was near, he would swing into a tree and climb as fast as he could. He had the advantage of being fast and calculating, knowing which branch to step on for how long and what would maximize his climb. But the chaser was taller and stronger, and soon Legolas found himself wrapped in strong arms against a large chest leaning against the trunk of the tree.

"Ada!" Legolas squealed in delight and the larger body laughed with him.

"Very good ion, you grow stronger every day. I almost couldn't catch up to you this time." Thranduil said, looking down at Legolas with impossibly warm eyes. 

"But you could. I can't beat you. I want to be as strong and fast as you, Ada, but you always out run me." Legolas said with a pout.

Thranduil looked at him fondly. "One day you will beat me, little leaf. And that will be a very bittersweet day for me."

"Why?" Legolas asked.

A sad look took the glint out of Thranduil's normally shining eyes. "Because you will not only beat me, you will leave me." He said in a sorrowful whisper.

"Ada, I would never leave you! I want to stay here with you." Legolas said determinedly.

Thranduil just smiled slightly and hugged his son tighter, looking out into the sunset with him, holding onto the small peace he knew wouldn't last forever.

 

 

Legolas was shaken out of his musings when he made it through the threshold of his father's rooms. Luckily, the ranch home held the master on the main floor, which would be good for Thranduil's mobility.

The large room was neat and tidy, as was his father. Nothing was ever out of place as a kid. The large, ivory four poster bed was center of the grand room, and Legolas had fond memories of this room as well. But now it seemed cold and empty to him.

He wheeled Thranduil over to the bed. Carefully, he picked his father out of the chair, which was considerably harder than getting him into it seeing as how tall he was, and put him on top of the fluffy white bedspread. Legolas gave himself a pat on the back for managing to get him transported to here without aggravating his wounds. 

He then went about taking off Thranduil's slippers and putting on socks, tucking him into the blankets to keep him warm. He then went around the room clearing pathways to the bathroom by moving chairs and trash bins, making sure everything Thranduil could possibly need was easily reached. 

He made himself some dinner, and ogled over the taste of real food again. Even if it was just a bowl of macaroni. It was the best macaroni he had ever had. Then again, cheap food always tasted great to a college student. He thought about making tea for his father, but then again, he wasn't supposed to wake for another day.

His musings kept him busy up until the door bell rang. He glanced at the clock and realized he had let almost two hours pass since he had gotten home. Cursing his lack of awareness he went to the door.

There stood Tauriel, in smock with a large duffle bag of gear.  
"I must say," Legolas started awkwardly after a pregnant pause in the air, "I let time run from me and you startled me out of my thoughts."

"Forgive me, Mr. Oropherion." Tauriel said kindly, with a strange reverence to her voice.

"Just Legolas please. Come this way, father's been asleep the whole time."

"I would imagine so." Tauriel said, gazing about at the sparse decorations, and the neat and tidy decor of the house as Legolas led her through. She wasn't necessarily a stranger anymore, Legolas mused, but he didn't exactly like the idea of her seeing something so private about him and his dad. This house was one of the few things that they shared and was theirs alone.

 

Silence followed them down the hallway, and Legolas opened the oak door into the room. Thranduil hadn't moved an inch, Legolas dully noted. Tauriel moved past him swiftly and set her large bag on the floor beside Thranduil. She then opened it, pulling out various IVs and needles and tubes and bandages, with a very serious expression. Legolas imagined practically living at a hospital for a month and a half would have gotten him used to the smell and sight of needles and medicine, but it made him queasy, and he left before she did any damage to his stomach.

 

He wavered at the door awkwardly. He didn't really know what to do. The time he had been away at college had done lots of damage, and now he felt as much a stranger as Tauriel did in the big ranch home. Only his was filled with memories he couldn't tell he wanted or hated more.

He then endeavored to go upstairs and visit his room. Some would call it the attic, but it looked like every other room in a home would. It had one large window that reached almost floor to ceiling, triangular at it's peak like the front of the home. And the rest of the room was a wide open space, with as much breathing room with he tall ceilings you couldn't find anywhere else. Legolas smiled sadly, pushing open his old door and seeing the familiar sight. For as much as he loves the outdoors, he never really missed it in this room. 

Much like the rest of the house, it was sparsely furnished. Especially since he had moved out. The primly made bed in navy blues, pillows fluffed and stacked as though no one had left. His rug that had been vacuumed recently. The walls still showing the vibrance in their color of the bright ivory. His bookshelf not showing any signs of dust, all the hardbacks he had left still smelling like freshly printed parchment. 

He could feel the room had been cared for. It gave him butterflies.

But there was something off. He could feel it. And when he looked back to the top of the bookshelf, he noticed a piece of paper lying on top. It was a photograph. Picking it up he saw a picture of himself, maybe 12 or 13 years old, smiling as wide as anyone could holding onto Thranduil's hand. Thranduil was also grinning, amused by his son who was obviously in motion of trying to drag Thranduil off to some other part of the park.

It was one of his favorite pictures of them. One of the last good ones as well. He had kept it in the dresser next to his bed. Legolas knew it was his father who came into his room and made sure it was kept up, but he didn't realize he would go through his stuff and it worried him. Especially knowing Thranduil would never leave something like this out.

Looking back at the picture, he couldn't stop the few tears that escaped him. Life was so simple back then. He could love his father as much as he loved him back, but everything changed when he got older. People looked at him differently, father got quieter, he had made questionable choices, and it had ruined the harmony.

He sat on the corner of the bed, holding onto the photo like a lifeline. As if somehow staring at it long enough would bring it back.

He heard shuffling behind him, and he jumped up quickly, hastily wiping the few tear streaks he had. He turned to see Tauriel, looking guilty.

"I am sor-" 

"What do you want?" Legolas cut her off, surprised at the frost his voice held.

Tauriel swallowed thickly, looking at her feet. "Pardon my interruption, Mr. Oropherion."

"Legolas." He cut in again. Frankly all the emotions he had been feeling in the past few weeks had driven him to wits end.

"Legolas," She seemed uncomfortable saying it, but Legolas couldn't care less. "I have set up everything and your father will be fine in the state he is in for the night. I will be back tomorrow morning at 7:30 as my stop before the hospital. If that is all you need of me, I will leave for the night."

There was an awkward moment, where she waited. Perhaps she expected Legolas to ask her to stay, maybe to apologize for his rudeness.

She expected wrong.

She turned and left swiftly, and it was only a moment after that Legolas followed her down. He sighed in relief at hearing her car roar to life, and speed away from the ranch home. The unsettling feeling of her being there was gone, and he felt like he could breath again. 

He followed the familiar hallway to his fathers rooms and opened the door. An almost equally familiar sight met him. His father broken in bandages, with drips and wires hanging about and connected to him. There was even a smaller version of the heart rate monitors they use at the hospital sitting on the bedside table. 

If anything it was a comforting thing for Legolas. Having the steady beeping was his constant reassurance that Thranduil would make it out alright.

"Well Ada," Legolas said, burrowing into the comfy recliner near the bed, draping a blanket over himself for the night. "I have to say this is much nicer than the hospital."

 

 

The next morning came and went without too much clash, Tauriel in a much less chatty mood. She changed the drips, gave him the proper medicine, checked the bandages again, and all seemed well. Then she was gone. And she would come back, that day three times more, doing similar routines, and leaving just as soon as she had finished.

This went on for days. Almost a week went by of it. Legolas occasionally went outside and tended to the small garden his father had built for himself, leaving out bread crumbs and vegetables for the wildlife. He occasionally drove out to town to pick up food for himself, but that was only ever when Tauriel was there. He occasionally talked to Aragorn and even in person once, but it was a quick drop by while he was on his way to town. 

It was his way of saying he occasionally had a life. Legolas would have liked to called it a burden that his father was on his life, but he would be lying to himself.

But the hours stretched by, and Thranduil had moved as little as stone. There were times where Legolas could convince himself Thranduil wouldn't move ever again but he knew that wasn't true. These things took time. Time was something they seemed to have an abundance of these days.

But it came soon, a late afternoon when it was raining outside. Tauriel had just left, and she had mentioned that Thranduil's cheeks seemed a little flush but it could have been from a number of things. She didn't tell him that could be a sign of awakening, so how would he know.

Legolas had been in the kitchen making himself dinner when he heard a faint noise coming from Thranduil's room. It could have been anything but being the paranoid son he was he checked the room.  He saw Thranduil twitching like the time he had in the hospital and hope coursed through his veins. He went to the bedside and grabbed his father's hand.

"Wake up Ada. You're home now. Everything will be fine." He said.

He could tell how things were different than the last time Thranduil had woken. His wounds weren't bleeding despite his small waking movements, and it didn't take long before the one eye that was exposed opened into the light.

Legolas smiled, seeing awareness in the eye as it glanced across the room.

"Ada," He called softly and squeezed the hand he was holding. "It's alright. I am here."

He could hear Thranduil's throat stirring, like he was trying to say something, but not using his voice for almost two months at this point left him dry. Legolas quickly grabbed the glass of water he had left from the night before on the floor, put it to Thranduil's lips and let a small amount flow.

He seemed grateful, though the lack of focus and recognition in the eye he could see left Legolas feeling uneasy. It was too similar to how he was in the hospital before.

When it seemed like he was done, Legolas put the water down and went back to holding his father's hand. The man took deep breaths, too fast for normal, and squeezed Legolas's hand in a death grip. For a little bit it was okay, but after a while it became painful.

"Ada, let go." Legolas tried, but if anything the hand held him in the bruising grip tighter.

"Ada!" Legolas yelled, not forcefully pulling his hand away because it could hurt him, but raising his voice. "Please let me go!"

"Legolas." It came out as a whisper, his dad's normally deep reverent voice was raspy and faint.

Legolas gasped. His father could speak! But that was all that recognized him. The hand didn't let up in its hold and the eye moved around frustratingly.

"Yes Ada?"

"Why is it so dark in here?" Thranduil asked, but it confused Legolas. All the lights were on, even the bright track lights in the bathroom and the door was open. It was still early evening outside, and the sunset was prettily shining red says through the windows.

"What do you mean Ada? All the lights are on." Legolas said confused, thinking about even the fire in the fireplace he had burning in the corner....

Dread pooled in his stomach like ice.

"You can't see anything can you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger!!! Sorry it seemed like a good place to stop. I hope to update later in the week though, and finally some Thrandy! I can't believe how many likes I've already gotten on this fic, thank you guys so much!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Sorry for my month long hiatus, I went to an intense month long camp and returned two days ago while also being very tired and had a big writers block. But updates should be coming back pretty regularly, and a nice longer chapter is here because of the wait :)

No answer came from the blonde man. His eyes kept wandering, and his hands moved nervously. He could bend them at the wrist, but lifting the hand was hard, and he seemed easily frustrated by the act. 

Legolas held onto the hand he was holding tightly and repeated his question.

"Ada, can you see anything?" He asked worryingly. 

A frustrated groan mixed with a whimper came from the blonde man, and he squeezed his eyes shut. 

"I see black. It must be dark." Came the soft reply. 

Legolas swallowed thickly. "It's not dark Ada. The windows are open, along with the lights on. There's a fire burning in the corner. Can you not feel it's heat?" He asked hesitantly. 

Another frustrated groan came from Thranduil. "The lights are off Legolas, do not tease me." 

"I do not tease Ada!" Legolas's patience was waning. 

"You must be. Why is it dark? I can't remember what happened. We are at home, yes?" Thranduil said. 

"Yes Ada. You've been in the hospital for weeks, with severe burns. The doctors didn't think you'd wake up but you did." Legolas said. He figured his father should know the truth at some point.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Your company burned to the ashes." Legolas began, looking away from the unfocused eyes. "The skyscraper burned until the first remaining concrete floors. It was a horrible sight, not unlike 9/11. Most of the people made it out alright, though many along with you and the other employees left on the upper floors were severely hurt." He left out the fact that 8 had died. His father didn't need to know that now. 

A calm silence fell over the room after Legolas finished. The twitching in the hand he was holding stopped, and the muscle tension in Thranduil's body seemed to go all away. The quiet in the room stretched out and festered, and it unnerved Legolas. He knew something like this would unsettle a person, being bed ridden, burns down their body, loss of eyesight. It was all very strange.

Until it got worse.

Thranduil suddenly launched up from the bed, sitting almost upright and screeching. His mouth was dropped open and his fingers clawed as best as the could at the bandages surrounding his body, and soon they were tinged red again with the blood and stress. He bounced and swerved and caused chaos in the room, yelling and cursing and screaming out names in terror, along with garbled mess of words such as "burning" and "flames" and "help. 

The blood steadily soaked the light blue sheets in a pool of maroon, and the longer it went on for the louder Thranduil screamed. The pain in the voice etched the wallpaper on the walls to curve inwards, and the agony extinguished the burning of the fire. It was all horrifying, and Legolas couldn't tell if there was a fear of his father more than the fear for his father. The man looked wildly possessed, blood sparkling his body and murder screams coming from him while he thrashed about. It was worse than the time in the hospital, he was supposed to be better now. 

He jumped up and went to hold his fathers arms down, but that proved to be bad. The manic man in the bed somehow screamed even louder with his raspy voice, and one of his strong arms managed to get free and socked Legolas.

The last thing Legolas saw was blood drops splattering the sheets where his head was steadily making way towards.

 

Legolas first noticed a throbbing in his world of black he could not locate. The dense suppressing thuds caused him to squeeze his existence tighter in hope to shrink away from the pain, but to no avail. It was ceaseless, and as much as he wished he could lure himself back into oblivion, it awoke him fully, and his eyes dimmed to the brightness of the room. He could tell he was lying on the cold wood floor, but his head was cushioned by something by a pillow. Then the voices came next, and he could see faint shadows of people still blurry in front of him. If his head didn't hurt so much to think, he would have been seriously worried about strangers being in his house, but it never registered. He was thankful for the help. 

He must have made a sound without knowing it, because next thing he knew the shadows, he thought he could tell two of them, came closer to him, and he felt gentle hands pushing him back onto his back. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut again before opening them wide and recognizing the long red hair, and two identical stricken faces.

"Tauriel?" He tried, but from the looks he was given, it probably sounded like mush.

"Legolas? It is Elrond and Tauriel. How are you feeling?" The other man said, and once he said his name Legolas could make out his features and remember better. Elrond was Thranduil's main doctor, right.

Wait, what about Thranduil?" He now remembered everything, all the earlier events and the struggling. But he couldn't remember how he ended up on the floor.

"Where is Thranduil?' He asked desperately. It came out groggy, but they knew what he asked. They looked to the direction of the bed, and so did he. Everything looked like it did a week ago, fresh bandages and sheets clean, and a calm sleeping Thranduil.

"When we found you unconscious next to Thranduil, we knew something bad had happened." Elrond stated, getting up from his crouched position and walking to the body resting in the bed. "He was yelling out and blood was everywhere, we cleaned as best as we could and sedated him. Then we dealt with the nasty bruise he must have left on you in his manic state. Tauriel thought things might turn south when she thought she saw the signs of Thranduil waking, so when we knocked on the door and you never answered, we used the emergency key. We're glad we did, one of you could have been seriously hurt." He finished with a deep sigh, gazing between the two blonde's as if measuring what he should do about them.

It was a lot for Legolas to take in with a still throbbing head, but he tried his best. But there was still a question that hadn't been answered.

"Why?"

"We don't exactly know." It came from Tauriel, still kneeling next to Legolas. " He was acting like a possessed man with no reason, but it was obvious he was awake and not in a nightmare. Do you remember anything before he hit you?"

Thinking back to what happened caused the words in his throat to clog up. The desperation of the voice and the lost look of the eyes, the mania. He didn't want to say it, to think on it again.

"Tell us Legolas." Elrond said gently.

"He woke up fine, moving slightly but I think it was mostly due to the fact that he was testing out his body from so long not being used. He seemed fine until he told me everything was dark, which it wasn't. I had the lights on, windows open and the fire burning in the corner. He told me I was lying to him and that it must be dark and night." Legolas shook his head and moved on. "Then he asked how he got home and why he was unable to move a lot, so I told him about the burning. Almost after he turned into a mad man."

 

Tauriel and Elrond shared a look, and it didn't seem to be a pleasant one.

"You mentioned the burning?" Elrond asked.

"Yes I told him about the building. Not about the deaths though."

A deep sigh escaped Tauriel. "That probably triggered his manic episode. We feared he would have mental wounds from this experience as well, and it seems you triggered memories that aren't exactly nice." She said with a grimace, glancing at Thranduil in the bed. "It's too early to say for sure, but it's very plausible he suffers from PTSD. And reminding him of the traumatic event so suddenly in a new situation to him waged that kind of response."

You idiot. Guilt washed over Legolas. He hadn't even thought that something like being burned almost to death could really be awful to remind someone while they were unfamiliar with things. He couldn't believe how careless he was. 

"You mentioned he said everything was black??

The voice cut through Legolas's pity party, and he was glad for the distraction. "Yes?"

Legolas was getting tired of the concerned looks they kept using. 

"Well, we speculated due to the fire his left eye would have permanent damage in seeing, but we didn't see the right eye being affected as well." Elrond looked almost speculative after saying that. "It is too early to say, but due to trauma his whole body experienced along with his head swelling, it could have left lasting effects to his occipital lobe."

"You are saying he is blind forever?" Legolas asked worryingly.

"It's too early to tell again, and not being here when he was sane and speaking I cannot tell yet. But yes, it is possible." Elrond said.

It was one of the last things Legolas really paid attention to, Tauriel and Elrond continuing to check Thranduil over and asking Legolas if he felt alright. His head throbbing hadn't gone away, but it was more manageable now that he wasn't concerned with Thranduil's well being. Tauriel and Elrond were there to take care of him.

After a while he picked himself up off the floor, and went out into the house. For a while he stood around, unsure of what to do in a space that he once called home that was now barren and stranger to him. He went to the kitchen and poured some wine for himself out of one of his dad's most expensive bottles. He didn't care, there were hundreds more in the cellar downstairs.

Then he made his way to the large porch surrounding the back of the house, creeping into the small forest spanning the area. The trees and the gentle sway of the leaves at night comforted Legolas, and he sipped at the wine while looking to the stars again. He could see Cetus, among other Greek constellations and it comforted him, knowing one thing in his life was similar to what it used to be and not changed for the worst.

The past two months had really been too much for Legolas. The young man wasn't prepared to see his father, a strong, cold, independent man so weak. He wasn't prepared to deal with the complications of a wounded man, possibly blind with PTSD. People his age illegally drank, worried about girlfriends and boyfriends and grades, and making money and parties and cross country drives with friends, and having good times.

But as much as he wanted to blame it on Thranduil, he couldn't. He wouldn't. He was never the type to party excessively, only went to two because he was dragged to them. He never really had relationships, despite being a very good looking young man, if a bit unusual. He only "dated" a girl so people wouldn't label him as gay and treat him like an outcast. He grew up in a very sheltered area of upstate New York. Odd kids weren't taken kindly to. But he and the girl never kissed, and it lasted only 3 weeks. He was surprised she stayed around for that long, but supposed it was for his looks or money and not for him.

But the American dream never appealed to him. He couldn't be like the other kids. He loved nature more than people, and he was fine with that. He had luckily found Aragorn, a friend who also valued the outdoors as much as he did, but he envied Aragorn. It seemed like he had found the perfect balance between nature and reality. Legolas wasn't there yet. 

Legolas always felt there was something missing in his life. It only manifested when he became more independent and eventually moved out. When he cut the ties with his father and Thranduil began to act cold-

"Legolas?"

Legolas jumped and looked to see Tauriel standing next to him, looking hesitant. He never noticed her walk up to him.

"I am sorry for disturbing you.' She said, looking at her shoes. "But Elrond has left, promising to come back first thing in the morning. That is when the medicine should wear off on Thranduil. But he has required me to stay because it was only by miracle that we showed up this night and saved things from getting worse. It will only be for a few nights, and if there isn't a spare bedroom I assure you a couch is just fine for me and I-"

"That's fine." Legolas said, cutting her off. "You can use the guest bedroom closest to Thranduil's off the living room. It would be no trouble for a few days." He finished absently while turning back to the sky.

Long moments went without words between either of them.

"You know," Tauriel started after the pause, "I do honestly believe he will make a full recovery."

Legolas glanced out of his eye at Tauriel. She was looking at the stars too.

She probably sensed his doubt. "Not many people have the strength to come out of what your father did, and make a recovery as well as he has. It could be weeks or years before he is back to what he used to be. All that matters is that he will get there." She said wistfully, looking at Legolas.

He supposed she was very pretty. Her long red hair out of the tight braid, in crinkled waves down her back, and the moonlight making her skin porcelain and eyes emerald. He supposed he could have been stuck with a lot worse. And he hadn't given her much of a chance so far to prove her kindness that she had only ever expressed to him. Maybe he should stop being a jerk. 

"Don't worry about me." She said with kind eyes, giving him a pat on the shoulder and turning to leave. "I'm here to help you both."

Somehow Legolas didn't think mind reader was such a good idea to have around as she watched her walk back into the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm starting to think Tauriel will become more important.... But don't worry! Thrandy will start being very talkative and important and more like an actual character than corpse now.\If you guys ever want to talk Thrandolas or send ideas of where you want this story to go, talk to me! I'm open for anything and love hearing from readers!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TO CLEAR SOME THINGS UP: first of all I love all you readers, leaving kudos and comments! But also, Celeborn is Thranduil's cousin for my fic. But because when they were kids and they grew up together for reasons, they were treated by others and loved each other like brothers. That's why he is Legolas's "Uncle"

The next morning Legolas woke, the house wasn't quiet. His attic room was rather high up above the already tall ceilings in the house, but he could have sworn he heard murmurings. He followed the noises down into the living room, and opening his fathers door he saw Thranduil sitting up in bed, speaking to Tauriel.

Excitement filled his chest, and before he knew it he was walking to the bedside and sitting beside his father, grabbing his fathers pale hand.

A lost eye searched the movement and looked in Legolas's general direction, but never settled fully on him. "Legolas?" The eye kept searching, but it eventually settled on their joined hands, a little off to the side.

"Hi, Ada." Legolas said with a smile on his face. The fact that his father was calm and speaking to him was enough to fill his chest with hope he thought was gone.

Tauriel shifted nervously off the bed. "I have done his checkups for the morning and was working on motor movement recovery, but I'll leave you two alone for now. I'll be in my room if you need anything." She said hurriedly and closed the door behind her.

Legolas ignored her leaving. He focused instead on his father, who's still abnormally pale form was shifting, but it seemed as though every movement took a great amount of energy. The hand that Legolas was holding freed itself and shakily made its way up Legolas's arm, then across his shoulder to his collarbone. The shaking fingers then ghosted up to his neck and Legolas's breath caught when his father's hand found his cheek and cupped it. The pale hand burned into Legolas's skin, and he dared not to breathe in this moment. Thranduil still couldn't focus with his one eye, but the hand seemed to guide him to look into his face, and it was the first time Legolas could truly see his fathers insecurity.

"Ion nin?" Thranduil asked in less than a whisper.

The name was cathartic. Legolas reached and grabbed the hand cupping his cheek, holding it there like a promise as his eyes filled with tears.

The hand moved, but with Legolas's trailing it, and it made itself across the angles of Legolas's nose, traced his jawline, danced across his eyelids, brushed against his widows peak and swept through his long golden hair he'd left free this morning. But every time it would run into a stray tear, it would gently wipe it away as if erasing a little bit of the bad history. The strain of the motions weren't lost on Legolas, and he would have stopped his father if it weren't for the determined look he had on his face. 

"Why do you weep, Ion nin?" Thranduil asked, wiping another tear off Legolas's chin.

Legolas breathed deeply many times to attempt to answer his father. 

Legolas squeezed the hand he was still holding against his cheek. "I missed you so much." He confessed, grimacing at his state. "I thought I had lost you like Nana." He choked on the last word, curling forward and burying his face into his fathers neck on his good side.

Even though he was careful, he obviously wasn't careful enough. Thranduil let out a painful groan, and Legolas immediately went to sit up, but a strong arm wrapped around his waist and kept him there. He tried to protest, but was shushed, and it didn't take long for him to forget about it and let the tears flow. All the pain of separation and loneliness he was finally able to express to the person he needed to, and all he could do was cry. He was pathetic. 

All the while Thranduil kept a firm hold on him, murmuring words like "I missed you too" and "I'm so sorry" and had his face pressed to Legolas's hair. Legolas was confused with Thranduil saying he was sorry, he hadn't done anything. Legolas always assumed he was to blame.

But after a while it didn't matter. Legolas's cries died down, and he eventually was only slumped into his father. The emotional strain weighed on him, and he felt immensely tired even though he woke up shortly ago. But it wasn't his decision to make whether to go to sleep, because he felt the slack of the arm around his waist and Thranduil's breathing even out just then. He couldn't move away or it would wake Thranduil, and he needed all the rest he could get.

His sleepy mind started shutting his body down for him, but not before he grabbed the edge of the comforter on the bed and laid it over themselves.

 

 

And that was how Tauriel found them after a few hours. Legolas, snuggled up into his fathers side, with Thranduil leaning against him with a faint smile curling at the edge of his lips. It was hard for her to disturb them after what she collected about their relationship, but Thranduil needed his medicine. 

She gently shook Legolas's shoulder, dark blue eyes opening groggily and slowly. He blinked, looking between her and his father, then a rosy blush blossomed onto his cheeks, and it seemed as though without saying anything to him he discreetly made his way out of the room. Tauriel shook her head, but begun to diligently work with Thranduil, who seemed just as rosy in the cheeks.

 

 

The woods always calmed Legolas. The tall trees, swaying quietly to mother natures rhythm. The animals living a life of solace and peace, and running water off in the distance. It was where he could center himself, the only place he found his answers. But it didn't seem as if he'd find any today.

After waking in that awkward situation, the house felt suffocating, so he went to the woods to the river about half a league from his house. It was turning into the afternoon by the time he reached it, the sun settling in the high west, but when he perched himself on a large boulder in the middle of a steady current, he lost track of time.

It had been so long for Legolas to feel an embrace such as that. He and Aragorn had hugged before, after he left the coffee shop before he went back to the hospital in the beginning, and a few other times. But none other than him and his family had ever done that. But Aragorn was different from Thranduil. His felt companionable. Thranduil's felt... secure. Pleasant, warm, and loving he would dare think. 

Legolas shuddered at the thought. He did love his father, but until that moment he didn't know if either of them could ever show the other their love again. Too much hurt and confusion wrapped their relationship in a vice like grip, never letting go. Legolas remembered the days when they would come to this same spot in the woods, and sit on this very rock. They sometimes swam, but most sat in silence. Legolas's favorite part was the sunset. At that time, the light would shine into Thranduil's skin and make him seem like he was glowing, and Legolas would often watch his father more than the nature. It made him beautiful, stunning even, more so than he already was, and it was as if he was a person of light and purity in that moment. He shined his brightest, and when the sea blue eyes would look at his, he felt loved. 

Those memories alone towered all thoughts of loneliness Legolas had. He just had to remember those days. When he felt so comfortable and loved surrounded by the calm and beauty. 

But something about it bothered him. He and his fathers connection, their ability to know the others feelings and speak in silence to each other. To share energy and to radiate off the other. Now that Legolas thought about it, he only ever saw his father smile and look genuinely happy around him. And his Nana, but his memories of her are hazy at best. 

Legolas leaned his head back on the rock and sighed. He could see the sun beginning to droop, and knew he had to head back to have some light to see his way.

 

 

He made it back to the house with a little light left, and as soon as he stepped in the door, his cell phone range. It was on the counter in the kitchen, and it was a caller ID he hadn't seen in months.

"Hello?" He asked anxiously, overjoyed while being nervous with the caller. 

"Hey Las!" A deep melodic voice spoke from the other line, and a grin threatened to split Legolas's face in half.

"Hi Uncle Celeborn, I've missed you so much! What brings this call?" Legolas would have liked to have chatted about life with his uncle, they were very close, but he was more curious about the random phone call.

"It's about your father. Are you with him? I heard about the incident 2 weeks ago, and since then I've been busy cancelling every appointment in Europe for the next month so I could come and see how he is doing. I was told he's been out of the hospital. Is he well? Is he walking around?"

So many questions and so much information flooded Legolas, and he decided to remember two important things.

"You're off for the next few weeks and you're coming to visit?" After everything that had happened, Legolas felt like he could use a helping hand with Thranduil and guidance for himself. 

"Yes, my flight is landing tomorrow early afternoon so I should be to his ranch home at night. That is where he is staying for now, yes?" Celeborn asked.

"Yes."

"Good. Then I'll be there tomorrow. How is he?" 

Legolas walked over to one of the dining room chairs and sat in it, rubbing his temples. "He has had some horrific moments waking up. The doctors believe he suffers from PTSD and also he is blind. Temporary or permanent is yet to be seen, but for now he is blind. Bandages still cover his whole left side, and his wounds are still healing..." Legolas shudders at the memories.

There's a pause on the other end. "It's good he has you back Legolas." Celeborn says seriously, and it makes him wonder just how much his father had talked about the two of them.

"I know, I can tell it's already helping." Legolas said, and with that they chatted more small talk, but then the night ran away from Legolas and he said his goodbyes.

The cold shower Legolas took that night was icy, but he could still feel the heat on his cheek from his father's hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided Celeborn will be my pawn over Tauriel... it feels a little better. Also, after this chap I'm at a standstill. I could easily write 2 more chaps and be done with this, or go 20k with this fic. Let me know if you guys want a little more or a lot more :) and if you want to see me fail at some smut, let me know!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Thank you for reading my crappy story and leaving lovely comments, I've decided to stretch this out long. And some smut eventually.... So does that mean happy ending?? Who knows?
> 
> Gwador means brother in elvish!

Strong arms embraced him. The familiar smell of home overwhelmed him, and he was happy. Pulling back, he saw the gentle smile on Celeborn's face and he realized he had missed this. Moving out of the house many years ago and not speaking to his father much had cut the connections with Celeborn too unintentionally. He was glad to have the familiarity back.

A warm smile was on Celeborn's face. "It's good to see you again Legolas. You've grown into a fine young man." He said appreciatively.

Legolas ducked to hide his embarrassment.

He directed Celeborn to his father's room and knocked, knowing Tauriel had gone in not long ago. Sure enough she stepped out, wiping her hands on her pants and looking up with a confused face but a pleasant enough smile at the stranger.

"Tauriel," Legolas started, "This is my uncle Celeborn. He's taken time off work to visit and help Thranduil."

A look of surprise crossed her features but she didn't comment on it. "Pleasure to meet you sir." She said holding out her hand, which he shook. "I am Mr. Oropherion's house nurse and take care of his required healing processes, and Dr. Elrond comes once a week now for check ups."

"I'm glad to know my gwador is well taken care of. May I see him?" Celeborn asked.

Confusion once clouded her features at the unusual word, but she nodded and walked past them to the kitchen. Celeborn made his way to the bed where Thranduil was sitting and took a pale hand in his, looking into the unseeing eyes. Thranduil started at the touch, looking for something he couldn't see. 

"Cel?" He asked, recognizing the voice at the doorway.

Celeborn squeezed the hand. "It is me, gwador."

Legolas was surprised how well Celeborn was taking this. Thranduil still wrapped and broken and he was acting like it was just yesterday they had been fine. 

Relief was painted on Thranduil's face, and he took the hand holding his and brought it to his chest. "I have missed you Cel. I didn't know you were coming."

"Legolas didn't tell you? I called him yesterday." Celeborn said confused, looking back to Legolas leaning in the doorway.

"No, I must have been asleep, is he still here? I had a dream yesterday that he came to me when I was awake, and said he missed me. He hugged me, gwador." Thranduil trailed into a whisper, unknowing of Legolas standing in the doorway hearing the confession. "I never thought there would be the day I could do that again, hold him close." A melancholy smile curled at the edges of his mouth, and Legolas's heart cracked. He couldn't listen anymore to his father, he left the room and went to the kitchen.

Tauriel was sitting at the table, but he stormed past her to his fathers stash and found the oldest Chardonnay he had. He poured himself a glass and took large gulps, almost downing the glass in two goes. He refilled and slid down onto the floor and leaned against the fridge. He pulled his knees to his chest and rested his head on them, glass outstretched in front of him.

He didn't know how long he had sat there, but he felt a warm hand touch his shoulder. 

"I'm sorry that you had to hear that." He heard Celeborn's melodic voice say, but it didn't sympathize him.

"I ruined his life didn't I?" Legolas asked, the question muffled by his knees.

"No, Legolas." Celeborn said sternly, and the change of tone caused him to look up. Celeborn's normally grey eyes were a fierce ice blue, swirling in emotions. "It's not your fault. He let himself be consumed by your leaving. You had every right. While I might not think it was the smartest thing to do at the time, he threw his own pity party."

Those words did soothe his unease somewhat. "Thank you." Legolas tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace.

"Here." Celeborn reached for his glass and put it on the counter. "Let's get some air."

They walked into the vast woods of Thranduil's property, slowly with measured steps. The sun was already starting to set, but the quiet comfort of having someone with him in the woods was something Legolas never thought he'd admit to be comforting.

For a long while neither of them said anything, then Celeborn broke the ice.

"He puts on a good act, but I do believe he is hiding quite a lot of emotional pain from us."

Legolas thought his voice fit in the woods, ironically.

"When he first woke up, I mentioned something about the burning, and it triggered an emotional uproar in him. But since then he's been acting fine." Well as fine as anyone in his spot, Legolas mused.

"But yes, I think he is hiding how hurt he is."

"Agreed." Celeborn said quietly as they walked through the forest. "Even though I told him after you left that you were in fact real, he didn't believe it. I think he doubts my presence as well. It has to do with the fact that he's blind, but also because of our absence.

Guilt pooled in Legolas's stomach. He didn't know what to say. It always came back to him leaving, and only now when it was too late did he realize how big of a mistake it really was. 

"Why did you leave?" Celeborn asked gently, stopping his walk and looking at Legolas.

"I can't really remember." Legolas said. "I felt cornered by his protectiveness, and I loved him dearly, but he loved me back too much. I hate saying it, because I know how many kids would kill for that attention from parents, but it was too much. He always showed me new things in the world and took me places I'd never dreamed of. But I wanted to see it for myself finally. So I left." After saying it out loud, it made Legolas feel even worse. It was such a bad excuse to leave their relationship on such rocky terms.

Celeborn studied him thoughtfully. "Have you met new people in your adventures away from home?"

Legolas smiled at the thoughts of his friends. "Yes, Aragorn and Eomer are good friends. And also Arwen."

"But no one you've grown attached to?" Celeborn asked softly.

"No." Legolas said, and he felt saddened by it. Naming his friends out loud suddenly made him feel like he hadn't met enough people.

Celeborn gave his a measured look, as if he was thinking too hard about something he had just said, but quickly turned away from Legolas and kept walking.

"What are you hiding, uncle?" Legolas asked after the side glance he was given.

"I'm just thinking of an unusual possibility to this situation." He responded as cryptic as ever.

Slightly put off, Legolas pouted and trailed behind Celeborn, but his dark mood didn't last too long because of the ever growing wildlife around him. 

"We need to focus on your father's recovery." Celeborn said after a while, "I can manage to get a few more weeks off from work to stay and help, but I think he needs us emotionally there for him more than anything else."

Legolas couldn't agree more.

 

 

A couple of weeks had gone by, and little had changed. Thranduil, seeing that his motor movement lessons with Tauriel were improving, was allowed to try and stand on his legs by the end of that week. But since they had been immobile for 2 months now, even with Legolas,Tauriel and Celeborn supporting him he collapsed into their arms. But it was progress. At least he could get up.

By the end of the following week he could stand unattended for a few seconds before he lost his balance. Or his muscles grew tired. And with that he was much better at feeding himself with fewer spills, and he felt comfortable reaching for things. He stayed up for longer hours, but this led to him sleeping less. Tauriel said his PTSD could be kicking in to avoid the nightmares that way.

Oh, and the nightmares. Legolas was glad Celeborn was around, because he didn't think he could wake up every night trying to console Thranduil. Blood curdling screams, mixed with garbled words and phrases of "help" and "burning" and "pain" were frequent, along with intense sweating and on the worse nights, bleeding because of the strain on the scars. Tauriel was worried about infections, Celeborn was worried about the lack of sleep on Thranduil's healing, but Legolas was worried about the demons in Thranduil's mind.

In the mornings they would try to talk to him about them. Clearing the conscience could help him, Elrond said once on his weekly visit, but Thranduil immediately shut off when they approached him about it. Once in the beginning, Celeborn pressed too hard for answers from Thranduil, and he broke into hysterics. It took hours to calm the man. They learned talking about it triggered panic attacks.

Legolas also thought that being bed ridden for so long and being physically incapable of moving took a toll on Thranduil too. Often he would walk in and see Thranduil laying on his good side, staring off at nothing with a blank expression in his eyes. Many times when he and Celeborn would sit in the room to keep company with him, his shoulders would slump and he'd make an effort to be engaged in the conversation, but after a while he gave up. Legolas had suspicions of depression, but labeling it seemed to make it much worse in his mind.

But the worst to Legolas was that Thranduil began to resent him. Or it would seem. Every time Legolas would bring in his food, the man would coldly thank him and make it obvious that his company wasn't welcome. He would try and talk to the man about anything, or even to sit in solemn silence with him, but Thranduil would fuss or request for Celeborn, or claim he was tired and go to sleep. He even fancied Tauriel's company over his, much to his astonishment. His own flesh and blood and he chooses the nurse. It's safe to say Legolas despised her even more now.

And it hurt. After all the time Legolas put in to caring for his father, and he rejected him. He treated him like trash. 

He had talked to Celeborn about it, but the man would give him a strange, sad smile and not say anything. He knew something though, and as much as Legolas savored having his uncle to help and someone's shoulder to lean on, he was getting fed up with his secret. 

He had even talked to Tauriel of all people about it. But she was even confused by Thranduil enjoying her company more. She assured him that it was all professional based, and they worked a lot on working his muscles and talking through his thoughts, but it didn't do anything to fix the gaping hole in Legolas's chest.

He missed his father, and every day the ice he saw in Thranduil's sea blue eyes chipped at his heart a little more.

He wondered when it would break.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Legolas and Thranduil... But things are stirring. A confrontation of sorts is coming soon, so look forward to that. If you liked it leave a comment or kudos or just tell me about your day :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there lovely readers! I honestly can't believe there are this many kudos and comments on this fic, this was just a fun silly thing for me to write and I'm so so so happy people actually enjoy it (angsty it may be). I would have updated yesterday but life kind of happens that way. I promised things would start picking up and they are, I hope you like this chapter....

It had been another week since Thranduil was standing unattended, and while Thranduil was improving, Legolas was declining. He figured if his father didn't want to be around him, he would avoid him. Long days were spent with Legolas up in his attic room, staring at nothing. Sometimes he read to distract himself, but nothing could keep his attention for too long. He had even taken his favorite picture of him and Thranduil out of his drawer and put it in a drawer in the kitchen. He couldn't stumble upon something like that.

He knew Celeborn's patience was waning with him. But he could care less. The businessman would often come up the stairs to his room and find Legolas wallowing in his self pity, and would huff and leave. Sometimes he would make snarky comments. Sometimes he would try and move Legolas, but that never worked. It had been almost a week of trying to coax Legolas out of his stupor, that Celeborn finally broke.

"Child, get up now." Celeborn said sternly from the door.

That pissed Legolas off. The derogatory use of "child" finally sparked something within him.

"Don't you dare call me that." Legolas said angrily, turning to face his Uncle.

"That's what you are, you sit up here and mope like a child that lost his favorite toy." Celeborn said with venom lacing the word child again.

"I am not moping!" Legolas shouted.

"Yes you are!" Celeborn shouted back. "You sit up here, closed off and alone from everyone while your father is still very much hurt, and this is not helping him. How would he feel about you doing this when he is in such need?"

"I don't give a damn what he feels!" Legolas was outraged. It all came flooding out. "How can he feel anything except the malice and cold that we both knew what was in his heart from the beginning? How can he shun his own son away from him when all I have ever done for him was in his best fortune? I was there day and night for these past 3 months tending to that broken man and you have the balls to come to me and tell me I can't have time for myself, after how he has re payed me? You saw him distance from me. I can't take that again." Legolas finished with his hands balled into fists, short angry breaths coming quick.

"You are so naive." Celeborn said in disgust. "How can you not help the man? You act as if him caring for you all the years as a child meant nothing! That his care meant nothing! You know, he wanted to follow Amelina. After everything they had gone through, he felt dead enough without her to let it all go. But I made him stay for you. And now this is how you treat his care and love?" 

"There is no love left in him." Legolas said with ice frosting his words.

"How can you say that? After what he's gone through, he's made remarkable recovery! It makes sense that he pulls away from people and has psychological problems along with the physical, people usually die from these experiences." 

"I wish he had!" Legolas screamed.

Time seemed to standstill then. Celeborn's expression changed from something of furious anger to sorrow. He seemed to be calm and composed all of the sudden, compared to the fire Legolas had just seen. And that was scarier.

"I am glad you're not my son." He said, and left as swiftly as he could, closing the door to the attic with a loud bang.

Legolas collapsed onto the floor beneath him and the tears poured out. He hadn't meant it. He loved his father. He didn't want him to die. Wishing that was vile, and Legolas knew it was because of the emotions that he had been forced to deal with that had been building up, but that didn't lessen the blow. He doubled over in pain as he sobbed from all the mixed feelings he had. Oh god he loved his father, with every breath he had but he was so hurt from the cold shoulder he was receiving. Legolas was physically exhausted by the 3 month ordeal, and mentally he felt himself slipping more and more until he finally broke. And unless Thranduil opens up to him, there's no way he can fix it.

A churning in his stomach warned Legolas and he ran to his bathroom before he leaned over the toilet and emptied his stomach. His breathing was fast, and he tried to stop his racing heart beat but the tears kept coming and he started to gasp and pant loudly in the small white tiled room. He leaned back against the wall and put his head in his hands, his vision swimming because of the tears. He heard a concerned voice in the doorway, and saw a glint of red hair coming closer.

"Get out!" He screamed at what he presumed to be Tauriel, and he saw a hastily retreating blur of red. 

He curled into a ball on the tile floor, and it was so cold that Legolas could feel his body slowly numbing to the sensation of it. And it felt nice. He slowly succumbed to a shivering sleep with tears streaking his cheeks.

 

 

He woke up shivering, and grimaced at his state. Crumpled clothes, dried tears on his cheeks, a sour taste in his throat. He got up dizzy on his feet and brushed his teeth thoroughly, splashing his face with water before looking at himself in the mirror. His hair was a stringy mess and very oily, and his skin looked pale and papery.

His odious image was enough to get him to take a shower in what could have been days. And if the water was slightly too hot and scorching, Legolas enjoyed it all the more for that.

He slowly made his way downstairs after throwing on sweatpants and a white tank, eager to get some food since his stomach was empty. But the house seemed all too quiet. Peering out the window, he saw Celeborn's car gone. Figures, he thought. The man would run from conflict.

But what surprised him more was the absence of Tauriel. He checked his father's room and found the blonde man alone sleeping in the bed. Then he checked her guest bedroom and it was empty as well. No where in the house was she, and Legolas could see the sun was already gone from the sky. He had been asleep for a long time. 

Shrugging his shoulders he went back into the kitchen where he found a note on the table. He looked at it curiously, and noticed it was signed by Tauriel:

Legolas,

I am sorry for entering upon you like that... It was not my place.  
I've gone to town for a few things, should be back in a few hours. I wanted to give you time and get out of your hair.  
Please take care of yourself.

Tauriel

He wondered idly why she cared so much. He hadn't been that nice of a host, he mused. Sighing he put it back on the counter, and turned to the fridge. He found an old balsamic vinaigrette salad, and ate it without really tasting. His mind was blank, but he supposed that was a pretty good thing considering how he had been feeling.

It was all calm and peaceful until he heard a loud thud from the other side of the living room, and groans following it. Thinking the worst, he ran into his father's bedroom and found the man not in his bed. Panic spread through him, and he heard the groans coming from the bathroom where the door was slightly ajar. He pushed it open and the first thing he noticed was the blood.

"Ada!" Legolas shouted, kneeling beside the man.

It seemed as if he had tried to get to the bathroom alone, but over estimated his strength. He had fallen to his knees and opened a little bit of the scars, but that wasn't his major concern. His left arm seemed to get the brunt of the fall, and the whole inner forearm was ripped apart.

Grasping his fathers arm, he turned it over, looking for any major injuries but was glad to see it was a shallow break. But it bled a lot.

The man was still moaning in pain, eyes scrunched as if he could shy away from it.

"Ada." Legolas said calmly again, but realizing that there was a lot of blood collecting.

No response.

Fine, Legolas thought. He'd just have to do it himself. He left Thranduil propped against the wall, and turned on the hot water in the bath and plugged it. He then collected old, dark towels and stacked them next to the tub. Then he went to the man, and began to peel off his shirt. Blood was climbing onto the sides, so once he got it off the man, with considerable effort seeing he had become limp, he balled it up and left it against Thranduil's arm.

The pants were much harder. Without any help from his father Legolas finally got the pants off, but his legs were so damn long it took forever. He pulled the underwear off with it, and he swallowed hard.

Even when the cold man was bleeding, scarred, and un-moving, Legolas never thought he looked more beautiful. Now that he saw all of his father, he realized there wasn't a single flaw in the man's body. Impossibly long legs, not as strong as it was but still a well defined chest, wide broad shoulders, crystal white hair. He was simply stunning.

What are you doing? Legolas thought to himself as he analyzed his father this way. The bath had risen to a comfortable level and Thranduil was still on the floor bleeding, and frankly Legolas needed a distraction from where his thoughts just were.

He lifted the body and tried hard not to think anything weird about his father again and lowered the man into the warm water. He seemed to enjoy it, sighing with half lidded eyes and sinking up to his neck.

Legolas grabbed a dark washcloth, put some soap on it and began to gently cleanse his fathers arm. Thranduil hissed, but after a while he got over it, and Legolas felt an odd satisfaction that this was the first physical thing he had done to help his father. To see him in need and being able to finally do something to help was cleansing. He didn't feel any trace of the hate for the man.

Thranduil seemed to come to his senses after a little while. He leaned into the caress of the wash cloth against his marred cheek, and Legolas smiled at the movement. But then the sea blue eyes opened, and Legolas could see the horror flash through them before Thranduil suddenly sat up and turned his back to Legolas as fast as he could. Some water had sloshed out and Thranduil brought his knees to his chest, holding them tightly.

Legolas reached out to his father and placed a hand on his back, but Thranduil tensed at the touch, and would have moved further away if not for running into the edge of the tub.

He tried to remind himself that his father was in pain, but it was hard.

"Why do you pull away from me, Ada?'

He didn't get a response from the man, but he heard sniffling start.

"Ada?" He questioned again, reaching for the man. He grabbed onto Thranduil's good shoulder, and he felt the man try to shift under him but he wouldn't let up. He slowly used his hand to maneuver Thranduil around, to where he was sitting facing Legolas, face buried in his knees.

The man slowly looked up, and what Legolas was used to seeing as blue eyes were almost purple and red rimmed.

"I never wanted this to happen." The man said, his usually deep voice hollow and thin.

"What to happen?" Legolas asked curiously. 

"You were never supposed to have to take care of me. That was my job." Thranduil seemed repulsed by his behavior.

"Oh no Ada!" Legolas exclaimed, putting his hand against Thranduil's cheek. "Don't apologize for that, it wasn't your fault. You had no control over any of this."

"But I must. I did a terrible job when you were younger, and then I forced you to take care of yourself too early and come back to care for me as well. I am such a failure." Thranduil said, and tears began to flow more steadily down his face.

"No Ada, I left. That was me." Legolas knew they were talking about the old, festering wound.

"But it wasn't you Las!" Thranduil yelled, looking into his sons bright blue eyes. "I let my emotions get the best of me, and they smothered you. For so long I tried to be careful, for so long I tried to hide but when you got older I couldn't anymore. I was so proud to have such a wonderful, handsome, intelligent son, and it controlled me and I-" He seemed to cut himself off short, eyes widening. Swallowing thickly, he continued looking into his hands. "I was always the strong figure in your life. I tried to be independent enough to cover both parents. But now I'm disgusting and useless and horribly appalling to look at, and there's nothing I can do!"

"I think you are beautiful." Was all Legolas said, and it left Thranduil truly sobbing.

He wrapped his arms around his fathers shoulder and let him cry it all out. It had been the first time since it all happened that Thranduil dealt with his problems. And even if all the demons hadn't been fought this battle, it was a start.

Once the man had calmed down, Legolas washed the rest of his body and his hair. Afterwards, he toweled the older man dry and out him in a large white shirt and boxers. Thranduil was practically asleep in Legolas's arms as he was carried back to the bed. Legolas laid him down, covered his body with the thick fluffy comforter, and he was too tired to go back to his room. He curled up next to his father, and before he felt sleep lure him in, he felt his fathers’ arm wrap around his waist, and he smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY! Finally a little something :) Thrandy will start spilling some beans, and the smut is coming in the future so stay tuned! Thanks for reading this, and if you liked it leave a comment or kudos, or tell me your favorite color


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry doesn't even begin to describe how I feel. I have just been so swamped with so many things in my life recently that for over a month and a half I have just been in this ridiculous cycle of never ending shit, and I'm so sorry its taken me this long to get this out. And honestly, I had a bunch of this fic planned to go farther but I forgot all of it combined with lack of muse or drive I'm having these last two chapters and that's it. Life sucks. But hey, at least I finally put something out!! :)

Things became much easier. Days went by without too much incident. Tauriel was proud of Legolas's care over Thranduil that night, and it had been three weeks since that night with no tears in his scars. The blind man couldn't see them himself, but after that night he gave up trying to conceal himself from Legolas. The ghastly scars ran from his left eyebrow all the way down past his knees, red and mottled flesh and tendons torn and aggravated. But it didn't bother Legolas. If anything it was more the memory of the event, and the fire and the thought of his father being so close to death that got to him more.

Celeborn came back after a few days. It took him a while to talk to Legolas, stuttering and looking the other way, and avoided him for almost a day. That was until Thranduil told him of Legolas's help, and he had to thank him for it. Without Legolas, Thranduil could have bled to death. It forced him to see the student in a different light.

They talked about their argument, and Legolas was grateful for it. It cleared his conscience, and helped because he knew Celeborn wouldn't leave Thranduil until he was well enough on his own. Having animosity between them just wouldn't work. 

Thranduil had improved greatly. Over the weeks he could start to make short trips throughout the house, and he even joined Legolas and Celeborn a few nights on the patio. Once he had become fairly mobile unaided, Tauriel has gotten him a wooden walking stick. It was lighter and not as sturdy as an average one, and she explained to Legolas that it was more for "seeing" than walking. Thranduil could use it as something to lean upon, which he used every now and then, but it was meant to tap and search the surfaces of the home. He could use it to reach out and "see" things before running into them and knowing where to go.

It was all looking bright for Thranduil, and every time Legolas saw the man walking on his own, or being more sociable and outside of his room, the students heart swelled. After months of his father being broken, he was finally showing signs of the man he once was.

But one thing that never went away was the nightmares. Elrond had said demons of the mind took longer than one of the body to be rid of, but it didn't make them any easier. Night after night you would hear screams and yelling throughout the house. It was dreadful.

They had told Thranduil what had happened to his Office building, and the whole story of his incident. He had taken it rather well, considering his breakdown about the fire weeks before.

Legolas was usually the one to help his father. He would go and hold the old r man while he shook away the thoughts plaguing his mind, and sometimes he would stay the night wrapped in Thranduil's arms. He told himself it was to ground Thranduil, to help him remember he wasn't alone, but that would be too nice. Legolas did it because he was selfish. Because he yearned for the contact with his father and the security it gave him, for the love he felt in the embrace. In Thranduil's arms, Legolas was home.

But he felt guilty about it. Taking advantage of his father like that... it just wasn't something he was used to doing. After their rocky relationship, being so close to the man clouded Legolas's thoughts. He loved his father dearly, he just wasn't sure how much.

Celeborn began to notice as well. He would see Legolas leave Thranduil's rooms, and give him a grave look. Not necessarily angry, but something enough to unnerve Legolas. He didn't like it. It made Celeborn seem like he knew the answer to something he hadn't asked yet.

But right now, looking at his father, Legolas couldn't possibly be worried by anything. He and the older man were outside on their porch, with the sun setting, and the light was hitting Thranduil in all the ways Legolas loved, and it struck him.

He loved Thranduil.

But it wasn't the way he had always loved his father. The comforting embraces, the smooth skin that glowed, his beautiful body, his deep voice, even his burns that showed the weight of his burdens and experiences. The man's resilience and strength was admirable, his strive for perfection was desireable, he leadership skills in the work force was uncanny. But he was simultaneously a very loving father, who had a heart of gold and put others first. Who cared for his son despite losing everything so young, and who built a world that was safe and perfect for a child.

He loved Thranduil.

He wanted to hold his large pale hands and help the man through his daily routine. He wanted to guide the man through stores with his blindness, he wanted to cook food for the older man. He wanted to read to him at night, he wanted to braid the long shimmering hair, he wanted to feel how his tall body would feel against his.

He wanted Thranduil.

Realization came to a steadying halt, and Legolas swallowed quickly. He got up, and the sudden commotion had Thranduil turned to him and asking him what was wrong, but he was long gone down the hallway. Quickly Legolas went, his feet taking him to the dining room.

For once, Legolas didn't mind being in an open space to think. The house was quiet, Celeborn had left for the weekend to do buisness, Tauriel would be gone until morning. He sat in one of the ornate wood chairs, and rest his head on the table. Thoughts of Thranduil swarmed all through his head, and he pushed them out as much as he could except for one.

They were related.

It was just wrong. It was a well known thing in society to not love a family member. People could get arrested for things like that. And since when did he love Thranduil? But that question was quickly squashed. He had always loved the man.

Legolas knew even since he was a child he should be grateful for his father being as important as he was in his life. And he was grateful, it was just an itching feeling that there was more to that. He had been the child that was constantly with the parent. Never letting him out of his sight, always doing whatever the older man did, and while most parents would find it annoying, Thranduil would smile softly and continue through his day.

Thranduil would even encourage Legolas. If he wanted to go fishing, they went fishing. If he wanted to go shopping, they went shopping. Anything Legolas wanted, he was given.

And even in later years. Legolas didn't just leave because his father was being over bearring, he was embarrassed by his own behavior. His friends (or few lucky enough to be called such things) would give him strange looks when he would turn down play date offers to stay home with his father. They would whisper quietly when Legolas blushed as his father kissed him on the head.

It all made sense. He had always loved Thranduil. In every way a son should and shouldn't. He loved the man as a father and as an admirer. He wanted the man and wanted to be with him.

He wanted Thranduil, and he couldn't tell if it grossed him out more than it filled him with hope.

He groaned and thumped his head on the dining room table a few times, until he heard the light clacking of the wooden cane coming through the door.

"Legolas?" Thranduil asked, wondering why the boy had run off from a peaceful evening.

Legolas sighed as he look at his father. His beautiful father. He even found the scars to be endearing, what the hell was wrong with him?

"Legolas?" Thranduil asked again hesitantly, no response on the first.

"Sorry." Legolas said, looking down at his feet. "I was thinking of something else."

Wandering eyes looked over him. "Pleasant thoughts?"

Legolas didn't have a good answer for this.

The older man sighed, before he blindly reached for the chair at the head of the table he pulled it out and sat himself down, now next to Legolas.

"Why did you leave?" He asked.

"It was warm outside."

"Legolas." Thranduil said sharply, and Legolas turned at the tone, but didn't do anything.

For a while, neither said anything to the other. Legolas suspected it was a test to see who would break first, but the older man eventually sighed and closed his eyes.

"I once took you to a park when you were around 14, it was one of our last shared times together before you left."

Legolas rarely heard his father's sides of the story.

"It was early morning before really anyone was around, and there were birds still scrounging the grounds for food, and squirrels eating nuts, and I remember you just laid down on the ground and they all converged onto you. All these wild animals climbing all over you, and you were laughing something of a ringing bell because of it. There was even a feral cat that came to see all the ruckus.

"I remember sitting and laughing as well, but just realizing that you were very unique and special. You bonded with anyone and everything, your beauty attracted all kinds of animals and people, and I realized more clearly in that moment than any other that I was the most fortunate man in the world to have a son as wonderful as you.

"I know we had a very rocky middle to our relationship, due to my awful parenting." Thranduil paused, and Legolas was going to object but he kept going. "But ever since you coming back to take care of me, we have mended that hole, at least enough to be open with each other. Will you tell me what's troubling you?" Thranduil asked softly, his blue eye shining.

Legolas swallowed thickly. "I love you Ada."

It came out before Legolas had time to think about his words, and he braced himself for an onslaught.

But none came. A soft smile spread onto Thranduil's face. "I love you too ion nin." He said quietly, looking slightly last Legolas.

It seemed like there was a war within Legolas. Part of him wanted to scream out he loved Thranduil in the way a son never should, but the sense in him told him no. He wished he was disgusted with himself, but he wasn't. All he could think about was the beautiful man sitting next to him, the unfocused look in the blue eyes, the calm composure in the strong shoulders, the content grin on the corner of his ruby lips.

All he could think about was Thranduil. And that's when he knew.

"No Ada." Legolas said firmly, taking one his father's large hands. "I love you." He said with conviction, emphasising the love.

The beginnings of lines creased Thranduil's forehead as he thought about what Legolas said, but he wasn't done yet.

"I've enjoyed our shared time greatly together here. So much that I began to question why. I realized that I not only missed you as a father, I gained a companion I haven't yet had a chance to experience yet. I love the way you get up everyday ready to face a new challenge, I love the way you smile softly at hour progress and at the way I read to you at night sometimes, I love the way your not afraid to reach out to others in times of need because you've realized you can't get through this pain by yourself, I love the way you quietly wait for the day you can walk unaided again. I love the way your heart is so willing to forgive me and how you've let me back in and allowed me to see the beautiful man you really are." Legolas finished a little breathlessly. He hadn't exactly meant to tell his father how he felt about him, but it all came rushing out before he could stop himself, but he didn't feel nervous about Thranduil's answer. Something made him believe it would be alright.

The frown that was on Thranduil's face for part of his speech had come felt vanished into a blistering smile of all teeth. It took Legolas's breath away. The unclouded eye began to water, and soon there were tears mixing with his smile. A bubbling laughter rumbled out of Thranduil, and with surprising accuracy for a blind man he lunged forward and wrapped Legolas in a bear hug.

The scent of his father engulfed him, and he smiled as well. He wanted to keep Thranduil here forever. But he wanted answers first.

"I never thought-" Thranduil shuddered, unable to finish his thought because he was caught in emotions.

"I never thought I would here something like that from you. I thought I was sick, and twisted for loving my son more than a father, and it was easier to hide when you were younger, but when you got older I just loved you so much more and people began to notice."

It all came out in a rushed whisper with hiccups and shudders in between, but Legolas was able to catch most of the words.

"I'm so sorry!" Thranduil exclaimed. "I had to be cold to get you to leave, because I couldn't trust myself around you anymore. I was disgusted with my lust and I was jeopardizing everything I had built for myself and you as well. I just couldn't take it anymore, and I turned you against me to protect myself. I was such a fool!" Thranduil yelled, truly sobbing as best as he could. He pulled back from Legolas, feeling like he'd overstepped his bounds.

"Will you forgive me?" Thranduil asked so quietly Legolas could have been mistaken hearing it.

"Oh Ada." Legolas cradled his father's good cheek in his hand. Thranduil nuzzled into his palm, sniffling still and seemingly unconvinced of Legolas's sincerity.

He didn't want Thranduil to doubt he loved him, regardless of their past. Now was there time, not then. It didn't matter anymore.

And with that thought, he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to Thranduil's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I hope that wasn't too rushed or weird. BUT FINALLY AM I RIGHT? ahh... the last chp will be an epilogue of sorts, but I guess you'll see when it comes (which I PROMISE will not be another month and a half long wait). I'm also super excited about another fic that will (soon hopefully) be in the works, so be on the lookout for that. Thanks for reading, comments and kudos definitely help me get my chps out fast!! Love you guys, come say hi I don't bite :D


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp it's here. Enjoy :)

The gentle push of his sons lips against his startled him. The scent of pine and outdoors we're intoxicating, and it took Thranduil a second to realize his son was kissing him. His beautiful son.

A thousand red flags went off in his head, telling him he was sick and twisted, and desiring his son, desiring this, was horrible. But he had spent years pushing away his feelings, and he couldn't care anymore. He cared more about his son.

He had cared so much that it had almost pushed them apart forever. But with unfortunate events and Legolas's understanding, he was able to re patch the past. Never did he believe Legolas would reciprocate his feelings, but the spoken affection and his sons lips against his, it was hard to resist.

He couldn't deny the pleasure he felt when he opened his mouth slightly ad heard Legolas sigh. Nothing progressed further, chaste open mouthed kisses to the corner of each other's mouths, getting a feel for one another after a long time overdue. But it was enough. And the dull throb Thranduil had learned to bear from his injuries ceased to exist in that moment.

And he knew without a doubt this was where he wanted to be. And this sliver of happiness, however fragile or small, was worth fighting for.

_____________________________________

Thranduil used to believe his life was run by fate. And he had never challenged it. He was buisnessman, never going against the grain and keeping his life, and thousands of others in order.

When his building burned to rubble things changed. His control was stripped from him, and no amount of searching could bring it back. A man once so strong under his own power sent to bed ridden states of hysteria.

Months of confusion and hurt tortured him. Kept him locked in chains of nostalgia and silence, and threatened to pull him under.

But now, sitting beside Legolas on the plane, he knew the real reason why he hadn't been pulled under wasn't because of his unruly tenacity.

It was his beautiful son.

The son who held his hand in the hospital for months, who helped bathe and feed him, who spoke to him during his sleep and remained a constant when everything else was undecided.

The son who saw past the grump of a man he was, who had shown him nothing but love and adoration.

He loved every part of his son. And when he wasn't convinced he could prove it, Legolas stepped in and showed him a new side to love. A side that was him being doted on, and him revelling in the feel of being taken, and him feeling full and loved. And in that moment, when it was almost their peak, Thranduil knew he wouldn't have it any other way. Legolas felt protective over his father, and adjusting to this was just another small factor that changed in his world. It would have never happened before the accident, but the night was more beautiful because of it.

Maybe it was all some sort of plan. To show a man hardened in his ways that the impossible was. To show him to never be so set in his ways, and understand that life has a damn funny way of making a full circle. To show him that even the wisest of people couldn't predict their own outcome.

And looking at the shining band on his finger, and the matching holding his own in the others lap, he prayed every night in thanks for the beautiful man he had been graced. For the opportunity to live again.

For the immense love he felt.

Maybe it was all free will. Maybe shit happens. But he knew that by being on this plane with his son, the man he loved, and a future 20 hours away unlike anything he had ever done before, he couldn't deny the butterflies in his stomach.

He was going home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I wrote this on a plane, the whole plane came to me. And yeah it all just kind of put itself together without me doing anything xD  
> It's the end, is it bad I'm relieved? I still thoroughly enjoyed myself and I'll keep updating new stuff whenever I can.   
> Like and comment if you enjoyed, if not your silent support is welcome too :)  
> Thanks!


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